Water wheel



Jan. 13, 1931. v BAWLF 1,789,130

WATER WHEEL Filed May 25, 1927 z sheets-sheet `1 Jan. 13, 1931. `v BAWLF I 1,789,130 i WATER WHEEL Filed May 25. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR BY Q01/af ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 13, 1931 UNITED STATES vERNAN BAWLF, or MAL'Tr. WASHINGTON l .Y

WATER Application filed May 25,

This invention relates to improvements in water wheels. The principal object of the invention is to provide a wheel of this character having radially extending vanes or rotors, and in which approximately one-half the number of rotors resist the current and cause a rotation of the wheel, while the other rotors oiier no resistance to the current. An important feature of the invention is that l@ logs, chips or other debris iioating with the current cannot contact with any of the rotors so as to injure the same or interfere with their operation. Another important feature is that a spillway is provided over which the excess of water spills in its passage over the wheel. Another feature is that power can be taken off from the wheel by a shaft which may extend 'in any direction from the cent-er of rot-ation of the wheel. I accomplish these 2@ and other objects of my invention by the peculiar arrangement and combination of the parts as will be more fully hereinafter described and explained in the following specifications, shown in the accompanying drawings and finally pointed out in the appended claims. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device with the cover removed.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken upon the lines 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar view taken upon the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a plan of the cone. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the cone taken upon the line 5*-5 of Fig. 4. Y

lReferring now more particularly to the drawings,v reference numeral 1 indicates the side walls of a housing which is Vpreferably 40 formed of concrete. Bridging the side walls at the forward end is a cross member 2 from which downwardly and outwardly Vextend bars 3. The arrows in Fig. 3 indicate the direction of the iiow of the current. 4 indicates 45 the water lever. 5 indicates a cover which extends from one of the side walls 1 to the other. Extending upwardly from thefloor is a cone shaped member indicated at 6. The cone is cut awayV as indicated at 7 so as to leave an upstanding ridge 8 or water baffle.

WHEEL- 1927:-- sr'iai No. 194,150.

Ste-a indicates a similar `bathe onthel opposite .side. '9 is a central Vshaft revolubly mountedin a'seat 10 inthe apexofthe cone. 1111sY av'hub member from which radially and rigidly extend arms 12. 13 is a ring which 55 is 'rigid lwith the sidewalls 1.` YHingedat 13476 toeach of the-arms 12 is a vane 14 and to theV lower edges of the-vanesare similarly hinged flaps 151 whose lower edges are formed atan angle to correspond withlthe.v angle w of the. coneY from its outer jperip'herytoy its apex'. Rgidly extending'fromeachofthe arms 12 isa member 16 slotted at `17.- Pivotally Y mounted Y within eachvof these slots 1s a trigger 18, the upper-'ends of allthetri'g- 65 gersbeing in' the path-of an arm'19f, secured by straps 20 to themember 2 and upon whose -free end isa roller 21. Each ofthe arms-'12 1s secured at 22 to a ring 23 so that the rings and the arms form the wheel proper. The Ymem-bers 16 are bent as at 24 and at theirI extremities are rollers 25 which. wipe Vupon the Xed ringfl-ll as; the wheel revolves. Vhen the wheel is in its position as shown in -Fig 1 it-will be seen that the free ends of 75 the rotors 14 Contact with the inner surfaces of the side walls l. 26 indicates chains one of-*ea'ch of whose ends is secured at 27' to a rotor-14 audits opposite end-is secured atf28 to one of the arms 12 so that as the wheel is 80 rotated Vin contra-clockwisedi'r'ec-tion as lviewed-in Fig. 1, means of a thrust upon 'theupper-most' rotor seen inthat'figure, the

rotor ishe-ld against movement about its cen- Y "ter134-a in the direction of movement ofi the 85. 'wheel, while the rotor just to the right of the one j ustfd'e'scribedis free` to collapse or fold upabontits center13-"a` as the wheel revolves in, theY directionstated'. Friction-of the yparts iis reduced toa minimum because of the-roll- '910 ers 25-as wil'lbe` understood, althoughfl prefer toarrangfe a ballgraceon.the-upper surface of the iixedrin 13 so as to still further reduce the friction. 29 is a pinion gear secured to the shaft 9 and with which a power 5 conducting shaft similarly equipped with a pinion wheel, may be connected so as to take off the power from the rotatingk shaft 9 in any direction radially from the shaft.V

The operation of the device is that as the m current `flows in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2 it passes between the bars 3, thence onwardly against the forwardly inclined portion of the cone 6 against the baiiies 8 and j S-a and in doing so all of the rotors 14 which are upon the left side of the device as seen in Fig. 1 resist the current and cause the wheel to rotate, while the rotors on the opposite side of the wheel collapse and allow the water to flow over the baiiie 8 and thence outwardly through the open or rear end of the housv`l ing so that no resistance is offered by onehalf of the number of baiiies, while the other f half offer resistance and` cause the wheel to rotate. If logs, limbs or other debris vare floating in the stream it is plain that they will ride up against the bars 3, over the top of the device and do no harm. Of course the uppermost rotor 14 as seen in Fig. 1 will be rather in a neutral position but it cannot be deflected to the right as seen in that figure because of the roller 21 which has at that time contacted with the upper end of the trigger 18 and moved it to its position as plainly seenin Fig. 3. After that time the chains 26 of course would preventV any rotation of that rotor-14 about its hinge point 13-a. Just before the `uppermost rotor reached its position as Vseen in Fig. 1 it ofV course contacted with the upper edge of the water baffle 8 (see Fig. 3) allowing the water to flow between the upper edge ofthe baiie and the rotor.

While I have shown aparticular form of embodiment ofY my invention, I am aware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves to others skilled in the art without departing Vfrom the spirit and` scope ofmy invention. I therefore `desire to avoid being limited to theA exact form of embodiment which I have herein shown and described.

I-Iaving described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is zv A water wheel including a rotor inclined to the level of the stream in which it is arranged, said' rotor including arms, blades pivotally supported thereon, chains for holding the blades against movement in one direction, a fixed baffle to engage .and feather the blades in the` opposite` direction, and means for lockingV each blade against movement in either direction whenin neutral position with respect to the current of the stream in which the water wheel is operating.` Y In testimony whereof, I affix my signature. 

